Only Fools and Horses | |
---|---|
The Musical | |
Music | Paul Whitehouse Jim Sullivan John Sullivan (additional) Chas Hodges (additional) |
Lyrics | Paul Whitehouse Jim Sullivan John Sullivan (additional) Chas Hodges (additional) |
Book | Paul Whitehouse Jim Sullivan |
Basis | Only Fools and Horses by John Sullivan |
Premiere | 9 February 2019 : Theatre Royal Haymarket, London |
Productions | 2019 West End 2024 UK and Ireland tour |
Only Fools and Horses The Musical is a 2019 British romantic comedy musical with book, music and lyrics by Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan, and additional music by Chas Hodges and John Sullivan. It is based on John Sullivan's BBC television sitcom of the same name which ran from 1981 to 2003.
The musical premiered at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in February 2019 and played for over 1,000 performances until the end of April 2023.
This article needs an improved plot summary.(July 2023) |
The story compresses 22 years and 64 episodes of the show into a two-hour tale in which Rodney and Cassandra are making wedding preparations, Boycie and Marlene are trying to conceive, and Del Boy goes to a dating agency looking for a "sort" and ends up with Raquel. [1]
It includes classic routines from the TV show such as Del Boy falling through the bar and Rodney trying to explain to Trigger that his name is not Dave. The story also includes the character of Grandad giving Rodney a present for his upcoming marriage to Cassandra, despite Grandad dying several years before Rodney met Cassandra in the TV show.
A musical adaptation of the popular sitcom Only Fools and Horses was initially announced to be coming to the West End on October 8, 2018 and would be produced by Phil McIntyre Entertainments and written by Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan. The initial casting announced Paul Whitehouse playing the role of Grandad, Tom Bennett as Del Boy and Ryan Hutton as Rodney. The musical was announced to have its first preview on February 8, 2019.[ citation needed ]
The musical made its world premiere at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on 9 February 2019, before opening officially on February 19, 2019. The production was directed and choreographed by Caroline Jay Ranger, with musical supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Stuart Morely. Set and costume were designed by Liz Ascroft, with lighting design by Richard G Jones and Sound Design by Rory Madden.[ citation needed ]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom mandating the closure of all theatres, the production was forced to take a lengthy hiatus. It reopened on October 1, 2021. [2] The production closed on April 29, 2023 after over 1000 performances, making it the longest-running production in the Theatre Royal Haymarket's history. [3]
On October 27, 2023, it was announced that the musical would begin a UK and Ireland tour on September 23, 2024 at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, touring until July 5, 2025. It will also include a Christmas season at the Hammersmith Apollo from December 17, 2024 until January 5, 2025. Whitehouse will reprise his role as Grandad at certain venues, including the London season. [4] [5]
Act I
| Act II
|
Character | West End |
---|---|
2019 | |
Grandad / Uncle Albert | Paul Whitehouse* |
Del Boy | Tom Bennett |
Rodney | Ryan Hutton |
Raquel | Dianne Pilkington |
Cassandra | Pippa Duffy |
Boycie | Jeff Nicholson |
Marlene | Samantha Seager |
Trigger | Peter Baker |
Denzil | Adrian Irvine |
Danny Driscoll | Pete Gallagher |
Tony Driscoll | Adam Venus |
Mickey Pearce | Chris Kiely |
Dating Agent | Oscar Conlon-Morrey |
Mrs Obooko/Wedding Fitter | Melanie Marshall |
Mike the Barman | Andy Mace |
Sid / Alternative Del Boy | Chris Bennett |
Peter Mason in the Morning Star newspaper described the production as "well conceived, well wrought and, above all, great fun", adding that "in general, the tenor of the stage interpretation is rather more emotional than the TV series, with more pathos and some darker moments." [8]
Paul Julian Whitehouse is a Welsh actor, writer, presenter and comedian. He was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy series The Fast Show and has starred with Harry Enfield in the shows Harry & Paul and Harry Enfield & Chums. He has appeared with Bob Mortimer in the BBC series Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing and has also acted in films including Corpse Bride (2005), Alice in Wonderland (2010) and The Death of Stalin (2017).
Only Fools and Horses.... is a British television sitcom created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until the end of the show in 2003. Set in working-class Peckham in south-east London, it stars David Jason as ambitious market trader Derek "Del Boy" Trotter and Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger half-brother Rodney Trotter, alongside a supporting cast. The series follows the Trotters' highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich. Critically and popularly acclaimed, the series received numerous awards, including recognition from BAFTA, the National Television Awards, and the Royal Television Society, as well as winning individual accolades for both Sullivan and Jason. It was voted Britain's Best Sitcom in a 2004 BBC poll.
Derek Edward Trotter, more commonly known as Del Boy, is a fictional character from the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and one of the main characters of its spinoff series, Rock & Chips. He was played by David Jason in the original series and was portrayed as a teenager by James Buckley in the prequel. Del Boy is often regarded as one of the greatest comedy characters in the history of British television, and is regarded as an iconic character in British culture. In a 2001 poll conducted by Channel 4 Del Boy was ranked fourth on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.
Colin Arthur Ball, better known as Trigger, is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and its prequel Rock & Chips. He was played by Roger Lloyd-Pack in Only Fools and Horses and Lewis Osbourne in Rock & Chips. According to Del Boy, he earned the nickname Trigger because he looks like a horse.
Albert Gladstone Trotter, better known as Uncle Albert, is a fictional character in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, portrayed by Buster Merryfield. He was introduced during the fourth series as a replacement for the character of Grandad due to the sudden death of Lennard Pearce in 1984.
Rodney Charlton Trotter is a fictional character in the long running BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst.
The Green Green Grass is a BBC television sitcom, created and initially written by John Sullivan, and produced by BBC Studios Comedy Productions and Shazam Productions for the BBC. It serves as both a sequel and a spin-off of the long-running sitcom Only Fools and Horses and stars John Challis, Sue Holderness, and Jack Doolan. Four series and three Christmas specials were originally broadcast on BBC One between 2005 and 2009.
Gwyneth Strong is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Cassandra, the love interest and, later, wife of Rodney, in Only Fools and Horses (1989-2003), and for playing Geraldine Clough in seven episodes of EastEnders in 2016. She has also appeared in Shadows (1975), Angels (1976), Crown Court and Z-Cars, Play for Today (1980-1984) and Silent Witness (1996).
"A Touch of Glass" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, first screened on 2 December 1982 as the final episode of series 2. It was the first episode of the show to attract over 10 million viewers.
"Little Problems" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of series 6, and was first screened on 12 February 1989.
"Time on Our Hands" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. First screened on 29 December 1996, it was the final episode of that year's Christmas trilogy and the fifteenth Christmas special overall. It attracted a television audience of 24.3 million, a record for a British sitcom. In the episode, the Trotters finally become millionaires. It had initially been intended to be the series finale, but creator John Sullivan wrote three more specials that were screened annually between 2001 and 2003, starting with "If They Could See Us Now".
"Sleepless in Peckham...!" is the final episode of BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was first screened on 25 December 2003 as the third and final part of the early 2000s Christmas trilogy, and as the eighteenth and final Christmas special. It was the last Only Fools and Horses-related episode until the Sport Relief special in March 2014.
"A Slow Bus to Chingford" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the fifth episode of series 1, and was first broadcast on 6 October 1981. In the episode, Del acquires an old double decker bus and decides to give tours around London.
"The Sky's the Limit" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the first episode of series 7, and first broadcast on 30 December 1990. In the episode, Del acquires a satellite dish for Boycie, unaware that it has been stolen from Gatwick Airport.
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Uncle" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the fifth episode of series 7, and was first broadcast on 27 January 1991. In the episode, Uncle Albert comes home claiming to have been mugged and, thinking he has become a burden, decides to leave Nelson Mandela House.
"Three Men, a Woman and a Baby" is an episode of the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. It was the final episode of series 7 and was first broadcast on 3 February 1991. This is the last episode of the last regular series, although Christmas specials were broadcast intermittently until 2003. In this episode, the birth of Del and Raquel's baby is imminent. Damien Trotter appears in the show for the first time in the episode's finale.
"I Done It My Way" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass. It aired on 19 February 2009, as the seventh episode of the fourth series, and was written by series creator John Sullivan, and directed by Dewi Humphreys. This episode acted as a 'clip show' for both Only Fools and Horses and The Green Green Grass. In total, the episode contained around forty clips, some of which were made specially for this episode. When series 4 was released on DVD, both separately, as well as part of a box set, the episode was left out, because of the archive clips. Even digital comedy channel Gold refuse to show the episode because of this, and is not available to watch on any catch-up services, including BBC iPlayer.
Rock & Chips is a British television comedy-drama miniseries and a prequel to the sitcom Only Fools and Horses. The show is set in Peckham, southeast London, during the early 1960s, focusing primarily on the lives of Del Trotter, Freddie Robdal and Joan and Reg Trotter. Nicholas Lyndhurst, who played Rodney in Only Fools and Horses, plays Robdal alongside James Buckley, Kellie Bright (Joan), Shaun Dingwall (Reg) and Phil Daniels (Grandad). The Shazam and BBC Studios Comedy Drama co-production was written by Only Fools and Horses creator John Sullivan, directed by Dewi Humphreys and produced by Gareth Gwenlan.
James Sullivan is a British television screenwriter. He is best known for writing seven episodes of The Green Green Grass.